Building construction



A ril 7, 1964 I c. w. ADELT 3,127,926

' BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 14. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 o 94 L J 6 April 7, 1964 c. w. ADELT 3,127,926

' BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 14, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 7

FIG. 8.

INVENTOR. 92- 0484 M. 40547,- 9 BY mm ATTOEA/EY I United States Patent 3,127,926 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Carl W. Adelt, P.0. Box 115, Mays Landing, NJ. Filed Oct. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 62,674 2 Claims. (Cl. 160-371) The present invention relates to building construction generally, and in particular to roofs of either new construction or repair construction.

While the invention is not limited to any particular type of roof or building construction, an object of the present invention is to provide a means for constructing or repairing a greenhouse roof with a minimum of expense and employing relatively unskilled labor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a construction for a building roof which permits the installation of and removal of each decking block from within the building and without requiring the erection of expensive scaffolding or the like.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a construction for a greenhouse roof having insulating means which lowers the cost of heating the greenhouse and promotes faster growth of the plants within the greenhouse, and one which may be used with or without the glass panels normally employed in a greenhouse roof.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a section of a roof, showing the construction thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a view on a reduced scale, of the assembly shown in FIGURE 1 as viewed from below;

FIGURE 3 is a View on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an isometric enlarged exploded view of a decking block of the assembly shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is an isometric view of a modified form of the roof construction of the present invention;

FIGURE 7 is a view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is an elevational view of the fastening means employed in the assemblies of FIGURES 6 and 7;

FIGURE 9 is a view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 9-9 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 10 is an isometric view of a modified form of the fastening means; and

FIGURE 11 is a view in section showing the fastening means of FIGURE 10 in a position of use.

FIGURE 5a is an enlarged plan view of the portion bracketed by a circle in FIGURE 5, and illustrating the slot in the connecting piece with the flexible serrations on the opposed walls of the slot.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, in FIGURES 1 and 2 a building substructure is shown and includes a plurality of rafter elements 12 arranged in side by side spaced relation and a plurality of decking blocks 14 mounted on the rafter elements 12, the blocks 14 being arranged so that each block interlocks with the adjacent block, together with attaching means securing the blocks 14 to the elements 12.

One of the attaching means is shown in FIGURE 5 removed from the decking block 14 and it is designated by the reference numeral 16.

Each of the decking blocks 14 is of a four-sided configuration and includes a first pair of right angled corner pieces 18 and 20 arranged so that one of their legs 22 and 24 respectively, are in spaced linear alignment and the other of their legs 26 and 28, respectively, are in parallel.

3,127,926 Patented Apr. 7, 1964 A first connecting piece 30 is interposed in the space between the one legs 22 and 24 and is provided on each of its ends with spaced sockets 32 receiving prongs on the legs 22 and 24, the prongs being designated by the reference numeral 34. In the connecting piece 30 there is a longitudinally-extending slot 31, FIGURES 3 and 5a, the opposed walls of the slot being provided with serrations 70. The serrations 70 in the opposed walls of the slot 31 are flexible and are arranged for insertion therebetween of a portion of a flexible flat sack and engaging said sack portion after insertion.

A second pair of right angled corner pieces 36 and 38 are arranged so that one of their legs 40 and 42, respectively, are in linear alignment and the other of their legs 44 and 46 are in parallel.

A connecting piece 48 is interposed in the space between the one aligned legs 40 and 42 and has its ends provided with sockets 50 receiving prongs 52 which project from the legs 49 and 42.

A third connecting piece 54 is interposed within the space between the aligned legs 46 and 44 of the said other legs of the first and second pairs of legs and has its ends provided with sockets 56 receiving prongs 58 projecting from the legs 26 and 44.

A fourth and last connecting piece 60 is positioned in the space between the legs 28 and 46 of the one pair of legs of the corner pieces 20 and 38 and has its ends provided with sockets 62 receiving prongs 64 which project from the legs 28 and 46.

A flexible cover 66 of polyethylene extends across the exterior of each of the decking blocks 14 and is attached thereto. Each cover 66 is formed with a closed end 68, as in FIGURE 5, and has its other end portion inserted through the slot 31 and engaged by the serrations 70 on the opposed walls of the slot 31, as shown in FIGURE 3, the other end portion of the cover 66 being designated by the numeral 72.

In FIGURES 6, 7, and 9, a modified form of the decking block 74 is shown and in which the other faces of the connecting pieces 54 and 60' are provided with a dado, as at 76 and 78, respectively, in FIGURE 7. The dados 76 and 78 receive the upstanding rib 80 of the adjacent rafter element 12'.

The connecting pieces 30', 48, 54 and 60 are also provided with a groove 82 receiving an edge portion of a pane of glass 84 supported in each decking block 74.

It is to be understood that the corner pieces associated with the connecting pieces 54' and 60' are also provided with a dado along one of their legs.

Employed with each of the decking blocks 74 is the same flexible cover 66 of polyethylene formed as an open ended fiat sack encasing the adjacent decking block 74.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGURES 6 to 9, the attaching means 86 is employed to secure at least one of the connecting pieces of each decking block 74 to the rafter element 12', the attaching means 86 being shown most clearly in FIGURE 8.

In FIGURES 10 and 11, another modified form of the attaching means 88 is shown employed with a disc 90 having a cam face 92 thereon. This form of the attaching means permits Wedging of the cam face 92 on the other side of a rafter element 12" in order to more securely hold the adjacent decking block thereto.

In use, the decking blocks 14 or 74 are fabricated of plastic and are provided with rigid metal prongs for connecting adjacent corner and connecting pieces together. When the decking blocks are assembled, the connecting pieces are cut into lengths to fit the rafter elements with which the blocks are to be used.

The attaching means 16 may be employed to secure the corner piece 38 to the rafter element 12, as in FIG- URES 1, 2, and 4, or the other type of attaching means 86 may be employed to secure the lower connecting piece 48' or adjacent corner piece to the rafter element 12', as in FIGURE 6.

Similarly, the attaching means 88 with its associated disc 90 may be employed to secure either the form of the decking block shown in FIGURE or the form shown in FIGURE 6 to the respective rafter element.

Another use for the decking block according to the present invention is to assemble one of the blocks around the stem of a plant or a trunk of a tree to be protected and to slip from each end so as to extend over half of the decking block one of the flat sacks or covers 66, so that they meet at the plant or tree trunk. This affords the means of controlling the moisture to the plant and is a substitute for the common sheet of plastic which is employed at present and held down at each corner with a small pile of dirt or a stone.

The attaching means 16, 86, 88 may be used to make its own hole in the lower face of the cover 66, which hole will also serve to ventilate the interior of the decking block. Other holes in the corner or connecting pieces may be provided for the attaching means, if desired.

Each of the connecting pieces 48, 48', 60 and 60 is provided with a lip as at 94, 96, 98, and 100, respectively, overhanging the adjacent connecting piece.

What is claimed is:

1. A decking block of a four-sided configuration and including a first pair of right-angled corner pieces arranged so that one of their legs are in spaced linear alignment and the other of their legs are in parallel, a first connecting piece interposed in the space between said one aligned legs and having its ends each provided with spaced sockets receiving spaced prongs on said one legs of said corner pieces, a second pair of right-angled corner pieces arranged so that one of their legs are in linear alignment and the other of their legs are in parallel, a second connecting piece interposed in the space between the said one aligned legs of said second pair and having its ends each provided with spaced sockets receiving spaced prongs on the aligned legs of said second pair, the parallel other legs of said second pair being in spaced linear alignment with the parallel other legs of said first pair, a third connecting piece interposed within the space between the aligned legs of one of the other legs of said first and second pairs and having its ends each provided with spaced sockets receiving spaced prongs on the aligned legs of one of the other legs of said first and second pairs, a fourth connecting piece interposed within the space between the aligned legs of the other legs of said first and second pairs and having its ends each provided with spaced sockets receiving spaced prongs on the aligned legs of the other legs of said first and second pairs, one of said connecting pieces being provided with a longitudinally-extending slot, the opposed walls of said slot having serrations which are flexible and are arranged for insertion therebetween of an end portion of a flat flexible sack, and a flexible cover of polyethylene embodying an open-ended flat sack encasing said decking block with the open end portion extending through the slot in said one connecting piece and engaged by the serrations in the opposed walls of the slot in the last-mentioned connecting piece to thereby sealingly secure the open end portion to said last-mentioned connecting piece.

2. The decking block according to claim 1 wherein each of said connecting pieces is provided with a groove, and which includes in addition a pane of glass disposed within the block and having its edge portions received within the grooves of said connecting pieces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 376,881 Haish Jan. 24, 1888 1,120,686 Burrowes Dec. 15, 1914 1,135,352 Bunger Apr. 13, 1915 1,651,323 Billerman Nov. 29, 1927 1,987,921 Bertsch Jan. 15, 1935 2,167,764 Lytle Aug. 1, 1939 2,309,453 Hasenburger Jan. 26, 1943 2,447,346 Krantz Aug. 17, 1948 2,487,571 Maxwell Nov. 8, 1949 2,587,330 Jones Feb. 26, 1952 2,817,399 ,Donaldson et al Dec. 24, 1957 2,927,355 Rasmussen Mar. 8, 1960 3,038,568 Morgan June 12, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,067,149 France Ian. 27, 1954 69,282 France May 27, 1958 1,221,854 France Jan. 18, 1960 841,073 Great Britain July 13, 1960 

1. A DECKING BLOCK OF A FOUR-SIDED CONFIGURATION AND INCLUDING A FIRST PAIR OF RIGHT-ANGLED CORNER PIECES ARRANGED SO THAT ONE OF THEIR LEGS ARE IN SPACED LINEAR ALIGNMENT AND THE OTHER OF THEIR LEGS ARE IN PARRALLEL, A FIRST CONNECTING PIECE INTERPOSED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID ONE ALIGNED LEGS AND HAVING ITS ENDS EACH PROVIDED WITH SPACED SOCKETS RECEIVING SPACED PRONGS ON SAID ONE LEGS OF SAID CORNER PIECES, A SECOND PAIR OF RIGHT-ANGLED CORNER PIECES ARRANGED SO THAT ONE OF THEIR LEGS ARE IN LINEAR ALIGNMENT AND THE OTHER OF THEIR LEGS ARE IN PARALLEL, A SECOND CONNECTING PIECE INTERPOSED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE SAID ONE ALIGNED LEGS OF SAID SECOND PAIR AND HAVING ITS ENDS EACH PROVIDED WITH SPACED SOCKETS RECEIVING SPACED PRONGS ON THE ALIGNED LEGS OF SAID SECOND PAIR, THE PARALLEL OTHER LEGS OF SAID SECOND PAIR BEING IN SPACED LINEAR ALIGNMENT WITH THE PARALLEL OTHER LEGS OF SAID FIRST PAIR, A THIRD CONNECTING PIECE INTERPOSED WITHIN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE ALIGNED LEGS OF ONE OF THE OTHER LEGS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PAIRS AND HAVING ITS ENDS EACH PROVIDED WITH SPACED SOCKETS RECEIVING SPACED PRONGS ON THE ALIGNED LEGS OF ONE OF THE OTHER LEGS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PAIRS, A FOURTH CONNECTING PIECE INTERPOSED WITHIN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE ALIGNED LEGS OF THE OTHER LEGS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PAIRS AND HAVING ITS ENDS EACH PROVIDED WITH SPACED SOCKETS RECEIVING SPACED PRONGS ON THE ALIGNED LEGS OF THE OTHER LEGS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PAIRS, ONE OF SAID CONNECTING PIECES BEING PROVIDED WITH A LONGITUDINALLY-EXTENDING SLOT, THE OPPOSED WALLS OF SAID SLOT HAVING SERRATIONS WHICH ARE FLEXIBLE AND ARE ARRANGED FOR INSERTION THEREBETWEEN OF AN END PORTION OF A FLAT FLEXIBLE SACK, AND A FLEXIBLE COVER OF POLYETHYLENE EMBODYING AN OPEN-ENDED FLAT SACK ENCASING SAID DECKING BLOCK WITH THE OPEN END PORTION EXTENDING THROUGH THE SLOT IN SAID ONE CONNECTING PIECE AND ENGAGED BY THE SERRATIONS IN THE OPPOSED WALLS OF THE SLOT IN THE LAST-MENTIONED CONNECTING PIECE TO THEREBY SEALINGLY SECURE THE OPEN END PORTION TO SAID LAST-MENTIONED CONNECTING PIECE. 